In Ireland they have music awards too though. Whether you believe in awards or not it is simply incorrect to somehow suggest that British Folk music having awards is unusual. It would be more unusual not to have them. The Irish have traditional music awards broadcast just in a few days time on 19th Feb. See link below.

Don't most forms of art have them? Not just popular music but classical music too; and film and TV; and theatre; and literature both prose and poetry; and of course art itself; and away from the arts in general even science etc has awards.

And I think we would all agree that it would be better if folk music was given more general coverage - but I can't see how getting rid of the one thing that does give it a bit coverage would help with that! In every field of art the awards are newsworthy stories to at least some degree. Whether it is the Oscars, the Booker Price, the Turner Prize etc etc.

http://www.irishtimes.com/culture/music/the-best-of-traditional-music-2016-tg4-gradam-ceoil-award-winners-announced-1.2898009